Czech Industry Embraces Natural Gas as Bridge Fuel to Green Hydrogen
Czech industry representatives agree that natural gas has an irreplaceable role in reducing emissions. The country is shifting from coal to less polluting sources, and natural gas is essential for sectors where decarbonization through electrification is challenging.
Natural gas infrastructure in the Czech Republic is sufficient, with stable prices currently at pre-war levels. According to Jan Zaplatílek of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, gas flows have split into two main directions, via Germany and Slovakia.
The Czech transmission system is oversized compared to current needs, as it was primarily a transit country. However, around 40 percent of households are connected to district heating plants, which still use coal for heating. Switching to natural gas would deliver significant CO2 savings, says Lenka Vaněk of ČEZ ESCO.
The industry is gradually transitioning from natural gas to green hydrogen or biomethane, with biomethane expected to replace 15 to 20 percent of current natural gas consumption by 2030. Currently, there are only seven biomethane plants in the Czech Republic, and their output is traded abroad.
The country has more than 500 biogas plants that could potentially be converted to produce biomethane. However, this is not yet economically viable without state support. The Ministry of Industry and Trade's Jan Zaplatílek questions whether EU biomethane targets are realistic given current consumption levels across the EU-27.